BVRLA welcome new expert advisors

The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) have welcomed several new expert advisors from across the industry.

Introduced at their AGM last week, the new influx of senior executives will ‘ensure the Association continue to represent their full range of members and have fresh input on the wide range of issues affecting the sector’.

Simon Oliphant, Chief Executive of Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions, will become Vice-Chairman and will take over as Chairman when Peter Cakebread steps down in May 2015.

Neil Cunningham, of Hertz, who served as Chairman of the BVRLA between 2011 and 2013, has stepped down as Vice-Chairman.

Gerry Keaney, Chief Executive of the BVRLA, said: “As Chairman, Vice-Chairman or in committees, Neil has been involved with most of the big decisions this association has had to take in recent years.

“His experience and enthusiasm are a great asset to the BVRLA and we are delighted that he will remain on the Committee of Management.”

The BVRLA Chairman is responsible for leading the BVRLA Committee of Management – in effect their board of directors – which saw six new members added today.

These are Tim Buchan, Chief Executive of Zenith Leasedrive Holdings Ltd, Benoit Dilly, Managing Director of Arval UK, Victoria Hudson, Managing Director of Eurohire Vehicle Rentals, Tim Porter, Managing Director of Lex Autolease, Mark Servodidio, Managing Director of Avis Budget UK and Robert Shaw, Operations Director of Europcar Group UK.

Making way for the new members are Bart Beckers, of Arval UK, David Bird, of Leasedrive, David Brennan, Kaye Ceille, of Avis Budget UK, Alison Chadwick, of Thrifty Car Rental and Andrew Morley, of Prohire.

“We are immensely grateful to this talented and experienced group, who have given up many hours of their time providing much-needed strategic counsel,” added Mr Keaney.

“Luckily, our industry has a deep pool of talent and we can welcome some very able replacements to guide us through the challenges ahead.”

Elsewhere, two of the BVRLA’s member committees have new Vice-Chairs.

David Hosking, Chief Executive of Tusker, becomes Vice-Chair of the Leasing and Fleet Management Committee, and Mike Potter, Managing Director of Fleetdrive, becomes Vice-Chair of the Leasing Broker Committee.